Disney Infinity utilizes physical character figurines, much like the Spyro Skylanders series, that the player places on the Infinity Base in order to play in that character's world. The Infinity Figurines have internal storage which allows one player to bring his or her leveled-up character to a friend's house without losing progress.

Disney Infinity consists primarily of two separate game modes: Play Set and Toy Box. Play Set allows the player to experience and play through a world belonging to a specific character. In order to access a Play Set, the player must put a World Disk onto the Infinity Base. Playing through stories in the Play Set will unlock items and gadgets that can be used in Toy Box mode. Each Play Set consists of a 6- to 10-hour campaign.

Toy Box is a sandbox mode in which the player can mix and match characters from different stories to create a customizable world to explore. There are no rules to Toy Box except for the limits of your imagination.

The starter pack includes characters from The Incredibles, Monsters University, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Additional figurines and World Disks can be purchased separately. A total of 17 characters were available at launch, with many more planned to come later.